From Dr. Jay Kumar - Brain, Body and Being: New Science of Happiness
Oct-17-2013

Your Brain is wired to be happy. Your Body is built to be healthy. Your Being is meant to be whole. This is more than New Age hype, it's now real science. It's only in the past 10 to 15 years since the advent of technology that allows researchers to peer directly inside the human brain in real-time without using a scalpel. These discoveries are upending many long-held beliefs about human behavior, emotions and health. Did you know that when you consciously change your thoughts and shift the focus of your attention, you physically change your brain-and your life?

Think of the neural pathways in the brain like a trail in the woods. The further you walk, the more worn the path. In a similar manner, the resulting thoughts and feelings running through our heads, shaped by our experiences, form pathways. The more we react to situations by feeling overwhelmed, angry, shameful or depressed, neurons in the brain attach themselves, creating neural pathways that reinforce these thoughts. Ultimately, these neural pathways become our "default" response system to all other situations in life.

Let's say your girlfriend decided to walk out or you botched an interview that would have boosted your career. Such events trigger previous experiences where you felt abandoned or a sense of failure. Based on the existing neural pathways in your brain from the past, old-patterns of thought kick in, leading you to conclude: "I'm a loser! I always screw things up. Nobody loves me."

In essence, our brain can change its physical structure based on how we consciously choose to respond to experiences in life.They suggest that whenever we encounter a new experience, we no longer have to travel down that familiar path of shame or regret. We now have a choice to how and where we focus our attention. Rather than falling back on the same patterns of thoughts and behaviors, we have a new opportunity to take responsibility of our life in a way that promotes our health and happiness.

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Posted by Ken at 6:49 PM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print